River Secrets and Forest Born

Okay, so I just realized that I have apparently been on quite the Shannon Hale reading kick lately! She just put out so many great books that I hadn't yet had a chance to read and they were just what I was in the mood for...

River Secrets
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book three

Razo has never been anything but ordinary. He’s not very fast, or tall, or strong, so when he’s invited to join an elite mission escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern’s great enemy, he’s sure it’s only out of pity. But when they arrive in the strange southern country, it is Razo who finds the first dead body. As they try to learn more from the Tirans about the ever increasing murders, Razo is the only Bayern soldier able to befriend both the high and low born, including the beautiful Lady Dasha. And as Razo finds allies among the Tirans, he realizes that it may be up to him to get the Bayern army safely home again. (description from Amazon.com)

Can I just start out saying that I love Razo? I know each book in the series technically has its own main characters and that Razo just plays a minor (though usually somewhat essential) part in the other books, but he's such a strong, unique, and well, FUN, character that he seemed to sort of hijack the whole series.  I was SO glad when I realized that he had his own book!  

I love that Razo's so sort of unaware of how truly awesome he is until the right person comes along to point it out to him.  He needed Dasha to help him gain self confidence and through his faith in himself, he found love, happiness, and helped to save his kingdom...once again! 

I also loved that Isi and Enna's relationship continued to grow and evolve, and expanded when they finally came to accept someone else who had a similar, yet different gift that they needed assistance controlling.  Each of the girls became even more confident in her abilities and place in the world.  These characters make great, realistic (yes, even with Enna's temper!) role models for young readers.

Forest Born 
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book four

Rin has always been a quiet, helpful girl, but a secret has been eating away at her, and the solace Rin once could find among the tall trees surrounding her forest home has vanished. When she leaves home to join her older brother in the city, she finds intriguing answers to her questions, an adventure she doesn't expect, and a sense of self she never thought she would find. (description from Amazon.com)

Happily, I discovered that the final book in the series featured Razo's younger sister, Rin.  Rin was a fabulous character...especially in the way that she grew through the book.  Rin goes on quite the journey, both physically and emotionally.  She sees new aspects of the world that she never knew existed and she begins to truly find her own place within the great wide world.  

While this book didn't have the romance that the previous novels did, I really loved the fact that Hale chose to have Rin stay true to only herself at the book's conclusion. Rin had too much still to learn about herself before she'd be really ready to find and embrace love.  This book felt the most "real" out of all of them, and while I ADORED the folk tale-y feel of the others, this one really hit my heart hard. I wished I could reach right into the book and give Rin a hug...to help her heal and feel less alone... 

What a stellar ending to the series.  These four are books I will definitely reread someday. 
(Books one and two are The Goose Girl and Enna Burning, respectively)

Full disclosure: Audio books borrowed from my Library, Books purchased for my Nook

Gold Star Review: The Essence

The Essence 
by Kimberly Derting
Pledge, book two

*Description contains spoilers for book one, The Pledge* 
At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within. (description from Amazon.com) 

This is another sequel that I read while I was on vacation.  Book one of the series, The Pledge, was the first book that I gave a GOLD STAR review to in 2012. Now since it had been almost a year and a half since I'd read the first, I was a little worried that I would not remember exactly what happened, and while to an extent that was true... (I'd forgotten the names of a lot of the characters, but Derting managed to reintroduce everyone extremely well) there were events and pieces of the world that were still etched so deeply into my brain that I sort of fell right back into Charlie's story without a hitch.  

I was immediately creeped out again by the idea of Queen Sabara being in Charlie's head.  I was fascinated by the language barriers amongst the social classes, and how some reveled in their new equality while others passionately rebelled.  I was immediately drawn back into Charlie's love for Max, her best friend Brooklyn, and her baby sister.  

Then Derting took it another step further and I just loved the world even more.  To find someone else who has an ability that is going to throw Charlie's world into complete chaos.  To have her begin to be emotionally torn as she begins to feel for Sabara.  To have rival Queens...both as allies, and as women who might want to see Charlie dead... 

Everything was ramped up one more notch.  The readings went from 10 to an off the charts 11... I WANT MORE!! When, oh when is book three due??? Why, 2014, of course... AHHHHHHH....so long to wait. 

For making me itch to be back there IMMEDIATELY.  For making me hate Derting *just a little bit* for not being able to pump out three books a year (LOL)... I give this book a GOLD STAR. 

   

*Sigh* And now, I have to sit back and wait for book three... *taps foot impatiently...* 

Full disclosure: Book purchased for my Nook

Gold Star Interview - Kimberly Derting!

Hello All!

As you all know, when I LURVE a book, I give it a Gold Star Review here. Well, to liven up the blog a little, I'm going to (try to) interview the author of each book that receives a coveted Gold Star! I hope you'll enjoy these quick, little interviews. :D

Today's guest is the fabulous Kimberly Derting! I'm so excited. I have really enjoyed Kimberly's Body Finder mystery series, but she officially won my heart with The Pledge. It won my first gold star review of 2012, which you can go back and read here.

Welcome, Kimberly! Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. I have just a couple of quick questions for you:

1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write The Pledge?
 

The Pledge was probably the longest—in terms of time—that it’s ever taken me to put a book together. It took me a while to get the idea just right, since it came to me in pieces instead of all at once, like The Body Finder did. The first piece was a simple question: “What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I spent a lot of time thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and family, before I’d ever written a single word. 

The first draft was fast, only a couple of months, but there were several rewrites before it actually made it to the final version. In all, it probably took almost two years to complete!

I actually talk about coming up with the idea for THE PLEDGE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4

2. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I think I’d like to try my hand at historical romance. Believe it or not, I used to (and still sometimes do!) devour historical romances. They’re my not-so-guilty pleasure. I’m not even sure I’d bother with a pen name!   *That's one of my go-to reading guilty pleasures, too!*

3. I LOVED that The Pledge was completely centered around language. It became so powerful, almost a weapon, and definitely a status symbol. Can you tell us how you came up with that concept?

Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I’m fascinated by language on so many levels. Not just how it can be used as a weapon—or a divisor—as in The Pledge, but also how it can be used as a tool to bring people together. And people will often use language to judge others and/or make assumptions based on their grammar, idioms, or dialect. Often times, language is the foundation for the first impression we make about someone else, whether intentionally or not.

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

I would love to become fluent in a foreign language! I took two years of Spanish in high school, but all I can remember now is how to order a drink, say hello and goodbye, and ask someone what time it is. How cool could it be to actually carry a full conversation?   *Learning Spanish and basic Sign Language skills are on my bucket list, for sure!*

5. Quick picks list:
Favorite vacation destination? Used to be Maui, but I think it might be Paris now. If there was a Paris with Maui weather, I’d be in heaven!  

Favorite childhood book? Charlotte’s Web

Favorite writing snack food? Lately: Pretzel M&Ms.

Favorite clothing item? I’m always cold, so anything that keeps me warm...sweaters, scarves, boots, fuzzy socks...   *Me too! I LURVE my sweaters!!*


Thank you so much, Kimberly, for letting me interview you. It was a pleasure!

For more information about Kimberly and her books, check out her website at http://www.kimberlyderting.com/